562 research outputs found
Den ulykkelige og den komiske bevidsthed
Full text linkLars Bo Larsen tilsigter i sit bidrag omkring den ulykkelige og den kosmiske bevidsthed at afdække, hvorfor anerkendelsen netop ikke er det centrale hos Hegel. Det godtgøres hvorledes at anerkendelsesdialektikken spiller en sekundær rolle i forhold til beskrivelsen af den ulykkelige bevidsthed og fornuftens fremkomst, hvilket finder sted i kraft af en orientering mod religionsafsnittet samt under inddragelse af Slavoj Zizeks Hegel-læsning
LARSEN-ELM: Selective ensemble of extreme learning machines using LARS for blended data
Full text linkExtreme learning machine (ELM) as a neural network algorithm has shown its good performance, such as fast speed, simple structure etc, but also, weak robustness is an unavoidable defect in original ELM for blended data. We present a new machine learning framework called “LARSEN-ELM” for overcoming this problem. In our paper, we would like to show two key steps in LARSEN-ELM. In the first step, preprocessing, we select the input variables highly related to the output using least angle regression (LARS). In the second step, training, we employ Genetic Algorithm (GA) based selective ensemble and original ELM. In the experiments, we apply a sum of two sines and four datasets from UCI repository to verify the robustness of our approach. The experimental results show that compared with original ELM and other methods such as OP-ELM, GASEN-ELM and LSBoost, LARSEN-ELM significantly improve robustness performance while keeping a relatively high speed
Missing adoption of scan and pay: Illustrated from the customer's perspective in Sanistål
No full textFormålet med dette projekt er at finde frem til, hvilke faktorer der forårsager, at mange kunder ikke benytter den nye teknologi, scan og betal. Projektet laves i et samarbejde med grossist virksomheden Sanistål, som for nylig har implementeret scan og betal i deres fysiske butikker og nu står overfor denne udfordring. For at finde frem til, hvilke faktorer, der skyldes manglende brug, udføres observationer og interviews i en af deres butikker.Ud fra det opsamlede data udarbejdes en tematisk analyse og på baggrund af denne og sammenholdelse med modellen UTAUT2, findes følgende faktorer: Forventet nytteværdi, Hedonisk værdi, Social indflydelse, Omstændigheder samt Forventet indsats. På baggrund af dette gives anbefalinger med udgangspunkt i Foggs Adfærdsmodel til, hvorledes disse kan ændres, så kunderne i Sanistål fremadrettet benytter scan og betal
Interpreting Wage Bargaining Norms
Full text linkFrom the mid-1990s onwards, Swedish wage bargaining has been characterised by informal co-ordination of the wage claims of big unions and bargaining cartels. In particular, it has been understood that the manufacturing sector should lead by first agreeing on a pay increase, whereafter the service sector and public sector unions choose a similar increase. We analyse his setup with two possible theoretical interpretations: (i) the manufacturing sector as a tackelberg leader and (ii) a normative role for the manufacturing sector’s pay increase, upported either by unmodelled social pressure or a modeled loss aversion (envy) of the heltered sector unions. The conclusion of the analysis is that the normative or leading role of one sector – in the Swedish case the manufacturing sector – can potentially bring big benefits for employment and output. Generalising an idea suggested by Lars Calmfors and Anna Larsson, our analysis also generates a rudimentary theory of why the wage increase norm sometimes binds and sometimes not. A comparison of the model predictions and the observed outcomes of the last five wage bargaining rounds in Sweden suggests that the model is generally consistent with the empirical observations: wage moderation and norm observance are stronger when the manufacturing industry’s initial relative wage is low.wage bargaining; bargaining co-ordination
Does remediation save lives? On the cost of cleaning up arsenic-contaminated sites in Sweden
Full text linkSwedish environmental policy is based on 16 environmental quality objectives (Gov. Bill 2000/01:130 and Gov.Bill 2004/05:150).1 One of the most challenging objectives,‘A non toxic environment’, has two interim targets that concern remediation of contaminated sites. In sum, they state that the highest priority should be given to sites posing the highest risks to human health and the environment.2 By eliminating pollutants in soil, groundwater and sediment, the interim targets aim to reduce risks to human health and the environment. In Sweden, 83,000 sites are potentially contaminated due to previous industrial activities. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the administrator of the governmental funds for remediation, approximately 1500 of these sites contain contaminant concentrations that could seriously harm human health and the environment (Swedish EPA, 2008a). To reach the interim targets, all these sites need to be remediated by 2050. Remediation of contaminated sites has so far cost more than SEK 3,000 million.3 The approximated cost to mitigate the potential risks at the most harmful sites is estimated at SEK 60,000 million.4 The Swedish government’s funding for remediation presently comes in the form of a directed grant (sakanslag). The directed grant, administrated by the Swedish EPA, subsidises remediation of contaminated sites that were contaminated prior to modern environmental legislation (in 1969) or for which no liable party can be found. The directed grant amounts to approximately 455 millions annually, which corresponds to about 10 percent of the annual national funds for environmental protection (Gov. Bill 2007/08:1). To make it possible to prioritise among contaminated sites, the Swedish EPA has developed a method for risk assessment called the ‘MIFO’ (i.e. the Method for Inventory of Contaminated Sites). The risk assessment does not take into account the actual exposure at a contaminated site. Risk is instead assessed based on divergence from guideline values for acceptable concentrations given a standardised (i.e. worst case) exposure situation on an individual level. This means that a site can be remediated without any individuals actually being exposed. The expected risk reduction is consequently not quantified. This eliminates the possibility of valuing the risk reduction, which should be weighed against the remediation cost. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how health effects, in the form of cancer risks, from sites contaminated by arsenic are valued implicitly in remediation. By using an environmental medicine approach that takes exposure into account, and without underestimating the potential health consequences of arsenic exposure, our purpose is to place arsenic risk management in the overall picture of live-saving interventions. In the case of cancer prevention, it is necessary to recognise that focus on an environmental carcinogen like arsenic may draw public attention – and funding – away from mental health risks like ambient air pollution and indoor radon. Although environmental pollution accounts for less than ten percent of all cancer cases (Harvard Centre for Cancer Prevention, 1996; Saracci and Vineis, 2007), environmental factors are important to recognize since they may be preventable. We emphasise, however, the inefficiency in becoming overly concerned about small risks while, at the same time, losing sight of the large risks. If society’s spending on lifesaving measures with small effects (i.e. a small number of lives saved) crowds out spending on lifesaving measures with large effects, then remediation can, in fact, even be said to waste lives. By using data on 23 arsenic-contaminated sites in Sweden, we estimate the sitespecific cancer risks and calculate the cost per life saved by using the sites’ remediation costs. Our results show that the cost per life saved through remediation is much higher than that associated with other primary prevention measures, indicating that the ambition level of Swedish remediation may be too high.
Future Waste Scenarios for Sweden based on a CGE-model
Full text linkOver the last decades, waste quantities have grown steadily in close relation to economic growth. To tackle the problem of continuing waste growth within the EU, waste prevention was listed among four top priorities in the EU Sixth environment Action Programme. A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is here used for projecting future quantities of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in Sweden to 2030. The effects of driving forces behind waste generation are illustrated by comparing the results of waste projections for a Baseline scenario and four alternative scenarios. The scenarios differ mainly in GDP growth rates and in the assumptions about future waste intensities of the economic activities of firms and households. We use a high-resolution data set on waste flows of 18 various types of non-hazardous waste and 16 various types of hazardous waste attributed to six waste-generating sources for the base year 2006. Waste generated in the scenarios, thus, relate to firms’ material input, output, employees, capital scrapping and fuel combustion as well as households’ consumption. The impact of economic growth in increasing the generation of nonhazardous and hazardous waste is apparent when comparing the growth of waste from 2006 to 2030 in the five scenarios. On the contrary, technological change resulting in less waste intensive production processes and changed behaviour among households, making their activities less waste intensive, have a strong reducing effect, especially on generation of non-hazardous waste relating to firms’ material input.general equilibrium model; waste generation; decoupling; waste intensities waste scenarios.
Anstöt och humor hos Paulus – ett Lars Ahlinskt perspektiv Offense and humour in St Paul and Lars Ahlin
No full textThe chapter deals with three articles on St Paul by the Christian and Modernist Swedish working-class author Lars Ahlin (1915–1997). The focus of Ahlin’s articles is Paul’s idea of the Christian’s low and humble worldly stance as the true meaning of the Christian holy, that is, the Incarnation of God in Christ. Thus, in Christianity low is high and high is low, and the chapter explores how this idea is developed in 1 Chorintians and Romans in a mixture of offensive and humorous diatribes. Also, the strategy of the diatribe is examined. Finally, the relevance of these Pauline ideas and strategies in Ahlin is discussed
The effect of feedback in adaptive toolbars
No full textAdaptive User Interfaces have been a subject of research since 1985. No existing research has attempted to draw the user's attention towards changes in the adaptive elements. An adaptive toolbar was implemented in a simulated text editor application. Feedback was used to inform the participant of updates in the adaptive toolbar. The effect of this feedback was tested using an eye-gaze tracker. It was found that feedback affected both the toolbar used by the participants to solve tasks, and in which toolbar the participants first sought the solution
Dual Process Theory as a framing heuristic for user cognition, amongst novice designers
No full textFor the present thesis project I attempt to highlight a growing problem of novice designers with no knowledge of usability partaking in, or even being responsible of, design projects. I argue that a viable approach towards addressing this problem is to help make knowledge of cognitive science and user cognition more understandable and applicable to novice designers through heuristics, i.e. design guidelines. In particular, using a meta-theoretical framework called Dual Process Theory (DPT), which makes an overall distinction between two types of cognitive processes, I see potential in framing the heuristics through the ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ thinking metaphor of DPT. This leads to the Problem Statement of the thesis project: “In which ways can Dual Process Theory operationalise as a framing heuristic for user cognition amongst novice designers, during concept creation and evaluation?”.I attempt to approach this Problem Statement by first (1) conducting a theoretical exploration of the (i) key (ii) cognitive process that (i) Dual Process Theory (DPT) can help communicate. This was done with (iv) a preceding conceptual analysis of DPT as a meta-theoretical framework. From that (2) I opted to explore design-research pertaining information of how to go about designing a set of heuristics for helping novice designers design with usability in mind. These heuristics try to communicate easily understandable and applicable knowledge about user cognition and give general, sound advise based on that knowledge. I subsequently (3) went through a creative process towards the development of a prototype of the heuristics. I (4) tested the prototype of the heuristics with a validity check, concerning how they communicate cognitive science research, through DPT, in a scientifically valid manner. Proceeding from there, I (5) gained expert practitioners input on applying the heuristics through a focus group. From the insights of this, (6) I created my final research design for a Main Study with seven novice designer participants. They were all individually interviewed for their experience applying the heuristics in an Activity that enacted as a case context.Dual Process Theory was found found show great promise as a framing heuristic of user cognition by providing (a) a unified, general understanding of user cognition and cognitive science. By applying the fast and slow thinking metaphor DPT can provide a reductionist language that enables novice designers to more easily express, or put into words, knowledge of user cognition. It provides a lens to see specific information about user cognition through.Lastly, the DPT-framed set of heuristics, or guidelines, conveying user cognition knowledge were found to mainly enact as either a (b) framework for concept ‘creation’, helping novice designers avoid cognitive fixation during the ideation process. Or, the heuristics could have the opposite effect, (c) disrupting an otherwise existing flow of ideation. For concept ‘evaluation’ the novice designer participants universally found great value in adopting the heuristics as a ‘checklist’. This helped the participants with a difficulty typical of novice designers, which is the lacking ability to conduct preliminary evaluations of concepts, based on criteria outside of personal preferences
Concept development on the next universal remote control
No full textThis paper examines the development of the next universal remote control. The paper focusses on performing user research in order to identify the user's wishes. Subsequently the paper goes through a concept development phase to create several remote control concepts. Finaly one concept which defines the next remote control will be chosen. The user research is built on an examination in user behavior in relation to television usage, other existing remote controls and interviews regarding users’ behavior on their remote control and other products. There have been conducted 9 different interviews with the regular user, which resulted in 600 statements. These statements were then analyzed in order to create a list of the user's wishes regarding the next remote control. The user research resulted in a list of 18 wishes, whereas each wish was given a factor of significance, that was then used in the concept development phase. The concept development phase has been divided into two parts, where the first part focuses on different brainstorming techniques in order to develop ideas to form a shape for the remote control. This resulted in three different shapes. Afterwards more brainstorming techniques were used to create a layout for the selected shapes. This proces resulted in 7 concepts. These concepts were discussed in an interview with 6 concept developers and user experience designers at Bang \& Olufsen in order to narrow the selection down to one concept. The chosen concept has been showed through illustrations and thorough description
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